Device for indicating the location of wrecks and disabled marine vessels.



E. H. W. CROSSLEY. DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE LOCATION OF WRECKS ANDDISABLED MARINE VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. I915. v 1,250,807., Patented Dec. 18, 1917'.

2 ISHEETS-SHEET 1.

EH CRoam EY.

IN ENTOIQ By W1 GUI/4 v E. H. W.-CROSSLEY. DEVICE FOR INDICATING THE LOCATION OF WRECKS AND DISABLED MARINE VESSELS APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1915- I I 1,5, Patented Dec. 18,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- E.H,.W.CRO$LE-Y.

INVaN'ToR.

By mm ATTORNEY,

UNITED QFFIQE.

ERNEST HENRY wEs'r o'uossL Y," 'oi* 1vrnL3oU31vn,' VI create, AUS RAL :nsvIcE FOB, mmcarmo THE ma a or wancxs AND DISABLED 'MARI'NE vEssELs'.

Application filedOctober 2o,1915. seriaim. 56,880;

To all whom it may concern L Be it known that I, ERNEST HENRY WEs'r CRossLnY. subject of the King of Great Brit ain, residing at Collins House, 360366 Col:

5 lins street, Melbourne, in the State of Vici. l y.

toria, Commonwealth of Australia, have in-, vented certain new and useful Improvements in an ImprovedDevice-for Indicating'the, Location of 'Wrecks and Disabled Marine Vessels, of which the following i a dfication. a

ofthe same maybe indicated in the event of it becomingwrecked, foundered, or disabled.

This invention comprises two floatable 0 buoys which are accommodated upon-the deck of the vessel in such a manner that in the event of the vessel being wrecked or f foundered one -of the said buovs which is captive indicates the location while-the other buoy which is free is adapted to driftupon the sea carrying proper records-so that when later'picked up it may give authentic information asto the said vessel.

The object of this invention is to provide in the event of the vessel assuming :1 dangerous angle orgwhensubmerged beneath the Water they are released and projected by; means of a spring clear of the vesselthereby. avoiding the masts and rigging While -further the said buoys are provided with means for assisting in attracting attention" and for the accommodation of proper records for.

the identification of thevessel and such like.

when the vessel assumes a'dangerous angle the said vessel. These buoys areprovided with mirrors 'inset within the shell, forthe purpose of attractingattention by reflecfor the accommodation of certainrecords for the identification of the vessel and a calendar orthe l ke 1 dicating'the date upon which the said buoy was ,projected'into the water means for mounting the said buoys so that I accomplish this objectbv mounting the, .buoysin a stand or carrier having'a. spring incompression upon whichthe said buoy is seated having catches which are released or becomes submerged enabling the said, springs to pro ect the said buoys clear of tion while further suitable lights may .be; provided and in addition suitable pockets the "of captive; buoy i specification of Letters Patent. De 19 or casing carries .a drum;.upon which is wound a cableor wire to which the buoy is attached, the said cable or- Wire being pref-' erably marked so that the depth of water I may be indicatedwhile in the case of the:

free buoy the same is .allowedto drift upon the sea when released;

In practice it is necessary that daiIy at-i tention to these buoys is insured by regu:

' lation sothat thefcalendars.are set from day today and the proper records inserted indicatingthevlocation, bearings, course, and

other particularsso that, in the eventsof accldent the latest information as to the I shipmay be available.

The invention w ll now be more 3 scr bed aided by a reference to the accom panying sheetsj of drawings in which L a Figure 1 's an elevat on of the captive buoy mounted in position on the deck of the vessel. y I F gs2 is a vice being: opened by thesinking of the vessel and the buoy-released. i

. sectional elevation of thev1ce for supportlng the buoy, the said d e Fig? seem of h aptiv e'buoyl the submerged vessel.

winding-drum casing.

Fig.5 is an'elevation tof the freeor floating-on the surfaceof the water above 1 L .i I; Fig. 4- is aplan partly in'section of the for supporting the. said "buoy, the, said; de

vice being shown open and the buoy released.

Fig. 7 ,shows'the .free buoy floating onthe surface of the water.

- Referringto these drawings Figs. 1, to 4 illustrat'ethe captive buoy and Figs.) 5- to 7 a freegbuoy constructed, according:to

this invention. I willvnow proceed to de scribe the captive buoy.

The captive buoy A is constructed erably or metal as shown suitablyballasted and furnished With-reflecting m rrors;A

and a revolving daily' calendar A?. These 5 reflecting mirrors A5 are arranged; above the water line as shown in- Fig.3 so thatthey can be readily seenby, a passing vessel. This buoy above a'powerful, spring B mounted upon A is adapted to be supported the. case C of avtinding drum 'D aboutwhich is wound a,deep..,sea cableor wire attached to ,thebuoy A. spr ng-B 1s; ept dun'e aL by. g e Q; i i-ene a item;

suitable prong supports or the like C 7 adapted to hold the buoy in position during the rolling of the vessel. These prong supports C are mounted on the hinged covers C of the case C which are kept closed by the weight of the buoy. A.

"The winding drum D is mounted on a spindle D and is actuated by a'spring D to assist in the unwinding ofthe rope ,When the drum D is released by the sinking of the vessel. This cable or wire D may be 7 marked in fathoms or other unitsto denote the depth of water. A paw-l E is connected to the drum D and" is. adaptedtoj. engage a key- C attached to the hinged covers. C? whereby the spring actuated drum D is locked when the covers are in their closed position. A pin E" is provided whereby the sCaid pawl E may be locked when the covers *3 (Fig. 4.

f T he free or floating buoyA is constructed preferably spherical as shownhaving refleeting mirrors A and suitablybal-lasted. A hermetically sealed pocket A is provided in which is placed a daily log giving the course of the vessel, date, last port of call and any" other necessary information requiredfor the identification of the vessel.

An illuminating device is attached to" this buoy in order that thesame may be seenat nighttime by passing vessels. This device comprises asuitable globe A supported on a suitable standard or frame A and suitably colored in order that it can be distingi-iished from existing lights. mav be illuminated" by such as an electric 3 lamp connected to a storage battery A situat'ed within the buoy and automatically operated by means of a switch when the buoy is released such'as by the weight I-I seated in a recess in the bottom of the buoy the falling of which operates the necessary acetylene.

V vessel;

switch. Suitable reflection disks A are also ing the buoy A during the rolling of the vessel. The buoy- A is furthersecured by suitable wires G or the like one end of which iSCOIlll 'CllCCltO the buoy and the other end. 'to the aforesaid spring catches B".

These wires Gare only' s11:flicientl;y strong to 11.oldthe buoy A in; position but are broken when the fall weight of the huoy'isare opened forinspection purposes' The said globe A? thrown on them by the buoy assuming a dangerous angle or.v by immersion in the water whereby the buoy is released; r

v The operation of the captivebuoy isasi follows :-Should the vessel assume" a sink ing or other dangerous angle the weightofthe buoy on one side causes the prong sup-- ports C to open and release the lugs G causing the spring B to project the buoy clear of the vesselat the same-"time the spring D causesthe drum D to unwind and thus facilitate the releasing of-the cable or. wireD. J

Should the vessel sink without first as suming' the aforesaid angle, the uplift of the water when the buoy fis submerged causes the aforesaid sup-ports C to open; and'the'spring Bis released as before-mentioned, while at the same time the cable D is being paid out until the vessel settles on the bottomwhen the" buoy floating on the surface indicates the location thereofand' the calendar A indicates the date of the wreck and the record identifies the vessel. The reflection of light rays 'by'the mirrors A insure that the buoy will be distinguished bya passing vessel from a distance w 1 The free buoy is rel'ea'sedin a somewhat similar manner'tothe captivebuoy accordiing to the position of the vessel. On thefree buoy becoming submerged the strain onthe wires G first releases the catches which in turn releases the spring lithe tension of which causes the wires G to break and free the buoy which is 'the'nat the mercy of the currentsand free to float untll picked up by a passing vessel- Similarl the wires r G are broken by the vessel assuming a clan gerous angle;

I claima y 1'. A device for indicating theposition of wrecks, comprisinga compression spring, a support therefor, a buoy located above said spring. and meansope'r'at d by therwe-igl'it of thebuoy to hold the'spring compressed but movabl'e when the 'buoyis submerged, to release the spring toproject-thebuoy;

2. A'devi-ce forindicating the positions of wrecks; comprising a compression spring, a support therefor; .a buoy located above said spring'and means-operated by the weight of the buoy to hold the springicompressed but movable by the spring when the buoy is submerged, to release the spring to pro-' jectthebuoy. 3; A device for indicating the position of wrecks, comprising a compression spring, a support therefor, a buoy located above said? spring. and a plurality of pivotedmcmbers normally held by theweight'of the buoyin'f engagement with the-spring to hold it com-Q- pressed, but movable outwardly when the buoy; is submergedto release the spring to projectthebuoya it 4. A device for indicating the position of Wrecks, comprising acompression spring, a support therefor, a buoy located above said spring, and means normally holding the spring compressed but operable when the buoy is moved upwardly on submergence thereof to release the spring to project the buoy.

5. A device for indicating the position of Wrecks, comprising a compression spring, a support therefor, a buoy located above said spring, and a plurality of pivoted members normally holding the spring compressed, but movable outwardly when the buoy is moved upwardly on submergcnce thereof, to release the spring to project the buoy.

6. A device for indicating the position of wrecks, comprising a compression spring, a support therefor, a buoy located above said spring, and means normally holding the spring compressed but movable by the buoy when the axis thereof becomes inclined more than a predetermined angle from the vertical to release said spring to project the buoy.

7 A device for indicating the position of wrecks, comprising a compression spring, a support therefor, a buoy located above said spring, and a pluralityof pivoted members normally holding the spring compressed, but movable outwardly by the buoy when the axis thereof becomesinclined more than a predetermined angle from the vertical to release the spring to project the buoy.

8. A device for indicating the position of wrecks, comprising a compression spring, a support therefor, a buoy located above said spring, and means held by the buoy in position to hold the spring compressed, but movable when the buoy is submerged to release the spring to project the buoy.

9. A device for indicating thepo'sition of wrecks, comprising a compression spring, a support therefor, a buoy located above said spring, and means held bythe buoy in position to hold the spring compressed, but movable by the spring when the buoy is submerged to release the spring toproject the buoy.

10. A device for indicating the position of wrecks, comprising a casing, a rotatable drum therein, a compression spring supported on said casing exteriorly thereof, a buoy located above said spring, a rope wound on said drum and connected to said buoy, and means on the exterior of said casing normally holding said spring .compressed but movable to release the spring to project the buoy on submergence thereof, or when the axis thereof is inclined more than a predetermined degree from the vertical.

11. A device for indicating the position of Wrecks, comprising a casing, a spring-actuated rotatable drum therein, a compression spring supported on said casing. a buoy located above said spring, a rope wound on said drum and connected 'to said buoy, means normally holding said spring compressed, and' means normally holding said drum from rotation, both of said means being movable to release the spring and drum respectively when the buoy is submerged or when the axis thereof is inclined vertical.

, 12. A device for indicating the position of wrecks, comprising a casing, a rotatable drum therein, a compression spring, supporting means for said spring carried by said casing, hinged covers on said casing normally held closed, a buoy located above said spring, a rope wound on said drum and connected to said buoy, and means on said more than a predetermined degree from the covers for holding said spring compressed, said means being operable by sald buoy spring to project the buoy.

13. A device for indicatingthe position of Wrecks, comprising a casing, a rotatable drum therein, a compression spring, supporting means for said spring carried by said casing, hinged covers on said casing normally closed, a buoy located above said spring, a rope wound on said drum and connected to said buoy. means on said covers having parts engaging said spring to hold the same compressed, and other parts ongaged by the buoy to hold said covers closed, said means being movable to open said covers and to release the spring to project the buoy when the latter is submerged.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST HENRY WEST CROSSLEY.

Witnesses:

CLEMENT A. I'IACK, G. R. CULLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

